Fishhook



y 1 1953 w. H. Hm 2,64 ,264

- FisHH ok Filed March 16, 1950 4 f 226mm- 21. mm

Patented July 7, 1953 FISHHOOK William H. Heki, Lynnville, Iowa, assignor of'one half to Leonard Verwers, Pella, Iowa Application March 16, 1950, Serial No.' 150,(l37

1 Claim. (01. 43-36) This invention relates generally to flsh hooks and in particular to a fish hook device wherein a hook is released or opened to a fish-catching position in response to a strike, or the application of a tension on the lead line connected with the device.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved fish hook device. Y

A further object of this invention is to provide a fish hook device in which hooks therefor, nor

mally in a closed. position, are sprung outwardly within the mouth of a fish in response to a tension applied on the line connected to the device by a fish striking the device.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a fish hook device in which a pair of barblesshooks are releasably locked together in an overlapping relation, and then released to spring outwardly from each other to catch within the mouth of a fish, so that the outward spring action in the hooks retains the hooks in the fish.

A feature of this invention is found in the provision of a fish hook device in which a resilient substantially V-shape body member hasthe legs thereof terminating in oppositely extending hooks. The legs are releasably locked together I by means movably connected therebetween so that the hooks are in an overlapping or mu- I tually closing relation. A release member for the leg locking means is attached to a lead line which is secured to the apex of the body member. On the application of a tension in the lead line, as occurs when a fish strikes the hooks,

the release member is pulled out of engagement with the locking means, whereby the legs are permitted to swing outwardly from each other to catch within the mouth of the fish.

Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the fish hook device of this invention in set position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fish hook device in an open or sprung position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of its set position; and

'Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. r

' With reference to the drawings, the fish hook device of this invention, as illustrated in Fig. 2, includes a resilient wire body member ID of a substantially V-shape having a coil spring portion II integrally formed at its apex or eye. The legs or shanks I2 and I2a, of the body member the device in .Ill, terminate in bights or barbless hooks 13',

which extend or open outwardly in opposite di-. rections transversely of the body' member terminating in sharp points. As best appears in Fig. 3,

the legs I2 and IZa are bent, as indicated at I4, to provide for the hooks I3 being inclined lat-' erally of the bodymember III in reverse dire'c tions It is seen, therefore, that the'bights I3 lie in obtuse planes relative'to their respective shanks and at an acute angle to e'achothe'r when the shanks are in the closed or overlapping position relative to each other. The bights' in this closed or overlapping position define 1 with the shanks a substantially ring-like opening having.

an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the eye, whereby a bait placed in the opening will be held with equal force by each shank and bight portion.

Movably connected between the legs I2 and I20. is an elongated wire member I6 having looped ends I! and I8. Referring to Figs. 1 and 3, it is seen that the looped ends I! and I8 of the elongated member I6 are offset laterally of ,the member I6 in directions spaced substantial-. ly ninety degrees apart. The ends I! is mounted about the leg I2a between the apex I I and a stop portion I9 formed by reversely bending the leg I211 ata position intermediate the ends thereof. A ring member 2| is loosely mounted abouttheI leg-l2 and the elongated member I6.

As shown in' Fig-'2, the hook device is in its" open or sprung position. In a set position of the hook device, which is illustrated in Fig. 1,.the1 'legs I2 and. I2a are moved together so that their .free ends are in a criss-cross relation and the hooks I3 in an overlapping and mutually cover-,' ing or closing relation. Stated otherwise, what might be termed the shank portion I5 of one' hook I3 extends across the opening 20 of the other hook I3. This inward position of the legs I2 and I 2a is accomplished by moving the end I! of the member I6 against the stop I9 and [2a and the ringmember 2I is located against the looped end I1 of the member I6.

u With reference to Fig. 1, it is seen that the ac';

tion of the spring II to move the legs I2 and In outwardly from each other is applied against the end I! and the ring 2| whereby to effect a move;

ment of the end I8 out of the coil spring II. It is seen, therefore, that the member I6, stop I9 and ring 2 I, in conjunction with the coil I I, function to releasably hold the legs I2 and Ila in tion Within the looped end IS on the member l6-. 7 The combined length of the member 26 is such as to extend across the coil spring II for hearing action with the coil to hold the end [8 against movement outwardly from the coil spring.

The loop 21 on the locking member or key 26 is integrally formed with an eye portion 29 for connection with a lead line 3| having one end 32 connected to the apex or coil portion of the member ID. As illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, the

attachment of the lead line 3ftwith the key member 26 is at a'position spaced from the end" 32 of the lead line, so that when the key 26 is inserted through the looped end [8 that portion" 33 of the lead line between its end32 and the eye 29' is slack.

On the application of a tension in the lead line 3|, and as will best appear from a consideration ofFigs'; l and 3, and which tension is effected when a fish strikes the hooks t3, the key member 26 is disengaged from the looped end [8, whereby the end 18 is moved outwardly from the coil; spring H, and the legs 12 and I2a are permitted to move to theiroutward-ly sprung positions shown in'Fig. 2, in which the member 16 is extended transversely of the body member [0 ata position adjacent to the eye or apex portion l I. Assuming the hooks l3 to be in the mouth of a fish at the time this releasing action takes place, it will be apparent that the spring action in the body member I0 firmly imbeds the hooks [3 with in the fish.

In the playing of' a fish that is hooked, when the lead line '3l1is maintained taut, the legs [2 an d'l2'a will, tend to move inwardly toward each other. However, such tension in the lead line tends to more firmly imbed the hooks f 3 within the fish. Should thelead line 3! become slack, ashappens for example when a fish charges or moves toward a fisherman, the legs l2 and l2a are moved outwardly by the action of the coil spring. H so as to retain the hooks l3 imbedded within the fish.

j For different types of fishing, such as trolling,

casting or still fishing, the tension required in the lead line 3 I to release the key 26 from the looped end l8 of the member l6 can be varied by merelyvarying the angle of divergence between the extensions 28 on the key 2-6.

:Thus for a greater angle of divergence between the extensions 28, a greater tension is required in'theline 3| to release the key, and conversely when this angle of divergence is decreased, a

lsser tension is required on the line 3! By virtue of the overlapped relationof the hooks l3, when the device is in its set position shown in Fig. 1, the hooks or bights [3 may be readily baited with dough balls, worms-,- insects and minnows, it being readily apparent that a live bait would be secured to only one of the hooksl3.

In actual practice it has been found that the use of. the hook device of this invention substantially eliminates any catching of small or undersized fish. Further, it has been found'that the legs I2 and |2a tend to spring outwardly in a direction such as to become imbedded in the top and bottom of the mouth of a fish. One theory advanced for, this occurrence isthat a fish, in working onthe bait, tends to roll the hook device to a position at which the points of the hooks [3 are in contact with its upper and lower aws.

From a consideration of the above description, it is seen that the invention provides a hook device which eliminates the use of the usual barbs on a fish hook, is readily applicable to substantially any type of fishing and positive in its action-for hooking in the mouth of a fish on the occurrence of a strike. Further, the device is readily removed from a fish by merelytaking pliers or the like, forcing the legs" l2'and 1211mwardly toward eaclf other, moving the device inga direction inwardly of the fish until the hooks, [3* are: disengaged, and then withdrawing the de'- vice fromthe-mouth of the fish. A tearing of" the fish in the removal ofthe hooks is thus substantially eliminated.

Although the invention has been described" with respect to a-preferred embodiment thereof,

it isto be understood that {it is not a; be so limited since changes can be made therein which" are within the fullintended scopeof this inven-' tion, as defined by th I claim: A fish hook formed of springwire having a e appended claim.

convolution intermediate {the ends thereof defining an eye for theattachment of a leadeii the portions on opposite sides oft-he eyeconstitut ing shanks having bight's at the free ends thereof terminating in points, saidshanks ad-apte'dto' assume open andclosed conditions, the bi-ghts of the shanks lying in; planes atan obtuse" angle to the respective shanks, the planes of each bight being at an acute angle to each other when the" shanks are in a closed position in overlappingi relation, locking means being provided for re-i leasably holding said. shanks in closed condition, each of the points of-sai-dbights under the 1 lattercondition extending upwardly at an acuteangle to the plane of theeyle andou'tward'l'y in" opposite directions, the bights defining with the shanks a substantially ring-iikeopening having, an'axis norma'l'to the plane of the eye, whereby; a baithaving its material' extending through the ring-like opening'will be held. with substantially equal force by each sl ank and bight portion;

' References Git'cd in the file of this patent WILLIAM HEKIQ' kows B 213 19 

